Internal-combustion engine



J. KELLY.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24. I919.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

JOHN KELLY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

Application filed November 24, 1919; Serial Ht. 340,152.

To all whom it may concern: s B it known that I, J OHN KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at 5958 Washington Boulevard, Chicago, in the county of 5 Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in; Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention relates more particularly to no internal combustion engines of the type eml ploying electrically controlled valves for controlling the inlet to the cylinders, of the explosive charges to be fired for driving the engine, and the exhaust therefrom of the la burnt gases; and my primary object, generally stated, is to so improve upon engines of this type that they will operate the better to perform'the functions for which they are provided, and more particularly operate as smoothly and evenly and with the minimum amount oi noise; and furthermore to provide for an increased brakin action, under the control of the operaton i) tion of the engine, as for example'in descendtn ing relatively steep hills.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the same shows, by a view in longitudinal sectional elevation, the upper portion of an internal combustion engine equipped with 80 my improvements, this view being in a sense diagrammatic and showing, in a diagram -matic way, the circuits for operating the electrical elements controlling the valve, with a timer therefor interposed in these cir-. as cuits. A I

In the particular construction shown, 1 represents a cylinder of an internalcombustion engine water-j acketed at 2, and in which the piston represented at 3, and connected to with theconnecting .rod 4, in accordance with common practice, operates. The upper end of the cylinder 1 contains a transversely extending, preferably cylindrical, bore 5 shown as extending entirely across the cylinder, with cap plates 6 and 7 apertured at .8 and 9 respectively, secured to extendacross the ends of the bore. The upper end of the cylinder containing the bore 5 forms in efiect a valve casing, preferably waterjacketed as indicated at 10, for a valve device controlling ,the inlet to the cylinder 1, of explosive (charges to be fired, and the exhaust from the cylinder, of the burnt gases. The valve casing referred to, to the end above stated, con- 5 tains in the wall thereof interposed between it and the cylinder 1, a port 11, and in its y the resisting ac--.

' energizing these solenoids the rod 14 wit opposite wall the orts 12 and 13 located at op oslte s des of t e opening 11 and prefera y equr-distantly therefrom. The valve device, referred to is formed of a rod section 14 extendin through the bore 5 and. equ pped wit heads 15 and 16 which have SlldlIlg -fit in the bore 5, these heads being arranged at opposite sides of the port 11 and positioned relative to the ports 12 and 13, as as hereinafter described. The ends of the rods 14 extend guidingly throu h the openings 8 and 9, and coiiperating wit the valve structure thus provided are coiled springs 17 and 18 which surround the'rod 14 and are confined, respectively between the head 16 and the plate 6, and between the head 15 and the plate 7 these sprin s, in the normal condition of the valve evice being under compression. In this position of the valve de; vice, the heads 15 and 16 extend into a position, as shown, wherein the ports 12 and 13 are out of communication with the port 11.

-The opposite ends of the rod 14 form thecores of solenoid devices represented at 19 and 20, the coil of the solenoid 19 being represented at 21 and surrounding a. space 22 into which the enlarged core-forming s end 23 of the rod 14 extends'to be movable lengthwise therein, and the coil of the soleg5 noid 20 represented at 24 and surroundin the s ace into which the core-forming end 25 of the rod 14 extends and is longitudinally movable, whereb upon alternately the heads 15 and 16 thereon is shifted first in one direction and then in the o posite direction. The shifting of the ro 14 to the left in the drawing, from the normal position represented therein, and against 5 the action of the spring 18, by the energizing of the solenoid 20, operates ,to cause the port 12, which, in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the invention would be in communication with a supply of explosive fuel, as for exam lo a carbureter, to communicate with the interior of the bore 5 and the port 11, the ort 13 being closed by the head 16. In t e movement of the rod 14 in the opposite direction and against the. resistance of the spring. 1%, by the energizing of the solenoid 19, the head 15 is moved with the rod '14 to a osition in which the port 12 is closed an the head 16 is moved with this rod to a osition in 110 which the port 13 is open to the nterior of.

the bore 5 and to the 11, the port 13 serving as the exhaust port of the engine. The operation oi? the valve mechanism as stated would be so timed relative to the reciprocations of the piston 3 and the igni- 5 tion device {not shown) for the cylinder, that the port lilwill. be in communication, through the bore 5, with the port 11, on the suction stroke or the engine,

nort 11, on the exhaust stroke of the piston and preferably during the latter part of the explosion" stroke. The timing of the valve device for the purpose stated, may be accomplished by any suitable mechamsm, for example by the timing apparatus represented at 26 and formed of a body member 27 supported, in any suitable manner. The member 27 carries contacts 31 and 82 which are out of electrical contact and which cooperate with a rotatable contact making and breaking arm 33 mounted on a shaft 33 adapted in its rotation to make contact successively with the said contacts on the member 27, the shaft 33 being operated in timed relation to the crank-shalt of the engine, in any suitable manner, as from the shaft through the medium of which the ignitiontimer is commonly actuated. @ne of the so termi; aecoil PM is grounded. at-Sl and it rmmal represei'ited at 35 stationary contact 32, of the coil 21 is 4. the other at 37 connects with l. the movable conuu, being ounded as through 1 of a wire-3 containing a switch A circuits if; which the solenoids s respectively interposed, may current from any suitable in the drawings the current is shown as supplied two batteries 40 and interposed, respectively, in these two circuits and operating to energize the solenoids respectively, as the contact 33 in its rotation progressively wipes against the stationary contacts of the member 27.

in the drawings the parts of the engine are shown in the positions they assume in the initial movement the piston 3 on its explosion stroke. this stroke the contact-arm 33 engages the contact 81, thus energizing the solenoid 19 which operates to open the exhaust port .13 to the port 11'. and closes the port 12, the exhaust remaining open during the remainder of the explosion stroke and during the exhaust stroke. ill, the end of the exhaust stroke the contact 33 leaves the contact and engages the contact 32, thus energizing the solenoid 2G and deenergizing the solenoid 19, with the result of the valve shifting to a position in which the port 12 1s open to the port 11 and the port 13 i and the port 13 will be in communication, through the During the latter part of.

closed thereto, thus permitting the engine to suck an explosive chargeinto the cylinder on the suction stroke. Both solenoids are deenergized during the compression stroke and the major part of the explosion stroke so that both ports 12 and 13 are closed to port 11., during this operation of the engine.

It will be noted that when both of the solenoids are dcenergized, the valve device occupies the position shown in the drawings wherein both ports l2 and 13 are closed to the port ll, this feature of construction being of special importance when the car equipped with the engine is descending a steep hill, as thereby, assuming the switch 39 to have, been opened and remain open, each upward stroke of the piston 8 is in 0 position to the resistance to compresslon oi the fluid in thecylinder, thus presenting a relatively heavy draand. consequently braking action on the w eels of the car.

By the arrangement shown it will be noted, the valve device is balanced by the pressure and thus a slight amount only 01 power is required to operate the valvedevice.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying my invention l do not wish to be understood as intending to limit thereto as the same may be variously modified and altered with-- out departing from the spirit or? my invention.

"l Vhat l claim as new and desire to secure lay-Letters is:

l, in an internal combustion engine, the

combination with its cylinder, of valve mechanism therefor controlling the inlet to. and the exhaust from, said cylinder com-- prising a valve device, spring means op erating to normally hold said valve device in a position in which said cylinder is out of communication with the supply oi fuel and the exhaust passage, and electricallyoperated means operating. to reciprocate said valve device alternately in opposite directions in opposition to said spring means. i 2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with its cylinder, of valve mechanism therefor controlling the inlet to, and exhaust from, said cylinder, comprising a longitudinally movable valve, spring means operating to normally hold said valve in a position in which said cylinder is out of communication with the supply of fuel and the exhaust passage, and electricallymper ated means operating to reciprocate saidvalve alternately in opposite directions in opposition to said spring means.

3. in an internal combustion engine, the combination with its cylinder, of valve mechanism therefor controlling the inlet to, and the exhaust from, said cylinder, comprising a longitudinally movable valve,

spring means operating to normally hold said valve in a position in which said cylin- I der is out of communication with the supply of fuel and the exhaust passage, solenoids cooperating, respectively, with the opposite ends of said valve for reciprocating the latter alternately in opposite directions in opposition to'said spring means, and means for gitudinally movable in said casing operating when in one position to close both of said ports in the valve casing to said port in the cylinder, when in another position to open said inlet port to said cylmder port and closesaid exhaust port to the latter, and-when in still another position open said exhaust port to said cylinder and close said inlet port to the latter, and springs cooperating with said valve and operating to normally hold the latter in a position in which said cylinder port is out of communication with said inlet and'exhaust ports, solenoid devices cooperating with the ends of said valve and operating when alternatelyv energized to reciprocate said valve, and means for alternately energizing said solenoids.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with its cylinder containing 'a port opening into the interior thereof, of valve mechanism therefor controlling the inlet to, and the exhaust from, said cylinder comprising a casing containing inlet and exhaust ports, a rod longitudinally movable in said casing and provided with beads adapted, in the reciprocations of said rod to alternately open and close said inlet and exhaust ports to said cylinder-port, and when said 'rod'occupies a certain position, closing both said inlet and exhaust port to said cyl:

,inder-port, and coiled springs surroundin said rod and operating to maintain sai valve in a position in which said inlet and exhaust ports are closed to said cylinderport and yieldingly resisting len thwise movement of said valve, solenoids ocated adjacent the ends of said rod, the ends of .said cylinder, comprising a valve casing containing inlet and exhaust ports, a valve longitudinally movable in said casing'and formed with two heads placed apart, said valve operating when in one position to close at its heads both of said ports'in the valve casing to said port in the cylinder, when in another gosition to open said inlet port to said cylin er port and close said exhaustto the latter and when in still another position open said exhaust port to said cylinder and close said inlet port to the latter, springs cooperating with said valve and operating to normally hold the latter in a position in which said cylinder port is out of communication with said inlet and exhaust ports, and electrically operatedsmeans operating to reciprocate said valve alternately in opposite directions in opposition to said spring means.

JOHN KELLY. 

